VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********** TRẦN THỊ ÂN A STUDY ON TEACHING AND LEARNING ESP VOCABULARY TO 2ND YEAR STUDENTS IN ACCOUNTING FACULTY AT HANOI COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY (NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY VÀ HỌC TỪ VỰNG CHUYÊN NGÀNH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ 2, KHOA KẾ TOÁN, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG KINH TẾ – KỸ THUẬT HÀ NỘI) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 HÀ NỘI – 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********** TRẦN THỊ ÂN A STUDY ON TEACHING AND LEARNING ESP VOCABULARY TO 2ND YEAR STUDENTS IN ACCOUNTING FACULTY AT HANOI COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY Ơ (NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY VÀ HỌC TỪ VỰNG CHUYÊN NGÀNH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ 2, KHOA KẾ TOÁN, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG KINH TẾ – KỸ THUẬT HÀ NỘI) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr. Kiều Thị Thu Hương HÀ NỘI – 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby, certify the thesis entitled “A study on teaching and learning ESP vocabulary to 2nd year students in Accounting Faculty at Hanoi College of Economics and Technology” is the result of my own research for the Minor Degree of Master of Arts at University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
The thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other universities or institutions. I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library can be accessible for the purposes of study and research. Hanoi, 2014 Trần Thị Ân i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In completion of this study, first of all, I would like to express my sincere deep gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Kieu Thi Thu Huong, without whom this thesis could not have been completed.
She gave me not only reliable guidelines and knowledgeable suggestions but also continual encouragement to accomplish this study. I am indebted to Assoc. Le Hung Tien – the chair of Faculty of Post- Graduate Studies for his valuable and interesting course in Research Methodology, which provides me with essential techniques to complete this thesis. My deep appreciation goes to all staff, teachers and members at Faculty of Post- Graduate Studies of University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University for their work and services.
Especially, I am grateful to the librarians who supplied me with a lot of materials. My thanks are also extended to all my students, my colleagues at Hanoi College of Economics and Technology, and all the people who have assisted my research work. Last but not least, my special thanks go to my parents and my friends, without their encouragement my dream of pursuing this study would not have been possible. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study has been conducted to investigate difficulties which both the ESP teachers and the learners at Hanoi College of Economics and Technology have to face during their teaching and learning Accounting vocabulary of ESP course.
The subjects of the study are six ESP teachers and fifty second-year students of Accounting major. The data have been collected by a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including the use of questionnaires and informal interviews. The study confirms that both the ESP teachers and the learners face difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary. There are three main problems existing in the ESP vocabulary teaching and learning process: (i) teachers’ lack ESP knowledge and various teaching techniques; (ii) students’ traditional and passive vocabulary learning strategies and their limited GE vocabulary and (iii) large-sized classes.
Based on the findings, some recommendations have been proposed. ESP teachers should improve their ESP knowledge, apply flexible and various techniques in teaching ESP vocabulary. Students should enhance their GE knowledge and develop effective strategies of vocabulary learning. Finally, the size of classes should be reduced.
iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ i Acknowledgements -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii Abstract --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv List of abbreviations ------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii List of charts and tables ------------------------------------------------------------------- viii List of figures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ix PART I: INTRODUCTION -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1. Statement of the problem ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2. Aims of the study ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 3. Scope of the study ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 5.
Methods of the study --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 6. Design of the study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 PART II: DEVELOPMENT ------------------------------------------------------------ 4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ---------------------------------------------- 4 1. Overview of ESP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 1. Definition of ESP -------------------------------------------------------------- 4 1.
Classification of ESP ---------------------------------------------------------- 5 1. Characteristics of ESP -------------------------------------------------------- 7 1. Definition of ESP vocabulary ------------------------------------------------ 9 1. Terminology -------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Definition of terminology -------------------------------------------- 9 1. Features of terminology ---------------------------------------------- 10 1. Teaching and learning ESP vocabulary ------------------------------------------ 10 1. Teaching ESP vocabulary ---------------------------------------------------- 10 1.
Dudley-Evans and St John’s viewpoint ---------------------------- 10 1. Hutchinson and Waters’s viewpoint -------------------------------- 11 1. Learning ESP vocabulary----------------------------------------------------- 12 1. Roles of ESP teachers ---------------------------------------------------------------- 14 1.
ESP practitioners as teachers ------------------------------------------------- 14 1. ESP practitioners as course designers and material providers -------------- 14 1. ESP practitioners as researchers --------------------------------------------- 15 1. ESP practitioners as collaborators ------------------------------------------- 15 1.
ESP practitioners as evaluators ---------------------------------------------- 15 1. Difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary ------------------------ 16 1. Students at different levels --------------------------------------------------- 16 1. Teachers’ lack of basic specialized knowledge---------------------------- 16 1.
Teaching and learning materials and conditions -------------------------- 17 1. Previous studies on teaching and learning ESP vocabulary ----------------- 17 1. Summary-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ------------------------------------------------------ 19 2. Context of the study ------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 2.
Students and their background ----------------------------------------------- 20 2. Teachers and teaching methods ---------------------------------------------- 21 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Subjects of the study------------------------------------------------------------------ 22 2. Data collection instruments --------------------------------------------------------- 22 2.
Informal interviews for teachers --------------------------------------------- 24 2. Data collection procedure ----------------------------------------------------------- 24 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS, MAJOR FINDINGS AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 3. Questionnaire for teachers ---------------------------------------------------- 25 3. Questionnaire for students ---------------------------------------------------- 33 3.
Teachers’ difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary ------------------------ 41 3. Lack of specialized knowledge -------------------------------------- 41 3. Lack of various teaching techniques -------------------------------- 41 3. Students’ difficulties in learning ESP vocabulary------------------------- 41 3.
Lack of effective strategies for learning ESP vocabulary ------- 41 3. Lack of GE vocabulary ---------------------------------------------- 42 3. The contextual problem ------------------------------------------------------- 43 3. Solutions to teaching ESP vocabulary -------------------------------------- 43 3.
Improving the teachers’ ESP knowledge -------------------------- 43 3. Improving teacher's methodology and techniques in teaching vocabulary ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 3. Solutions to learning ESP vocabulary -------------------------------------- 45 3. Enhancing the necessary GE knowledge -------------------------- 45 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Developing effective strategies of vocabulary learning -------- 45 3. Solutions to the contextual problem----------------------------------------- 46 PART III: CONCLUSION --------------------------------------------------------------- 47 1. Summary of the findings and solutions ------------------------------------------------ 47 2. Limitations of the study ------------------------------------------------------------------ 48 3.
Suggestions for further research -------------------------------------------------------- 48 REFERENCES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 APPENDICES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I Appendix 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Appendix 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS ESP: English for Specific Purposes EBE: English for Business and Economics ESS: English for Social Science EST: English for Science and Technology EAP: English for Academic Purposes EOP: English for Occupational Purposes EGP English for General Purposes GE: General English HCET: Hanoi College of Economics and Technology AE: Accounting English T1: Teacher 1 T2: Teacher 2 T3: Teacher 3 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF CHARTS AND TABLES Chart 1: Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching ESP vocabulary in the course book Chart 2: Teachers’ evaluation about students’ learning ESP vocabulary Chart 3: Teachers’ difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary Chart 4: Teachers’ techniques in presenting new words Chart 5: Teachers’ recommendations to overcome your difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary Chart 6: Students’ English competence Chart 7: The purposes of learning ESP vocabulary Chart 8: Students’ difficulties in learning ESP vocabulary in the course book Chart 9: Problems have influenced students’ motivation and interest Chart 10: Students’ solutions when meeting a new word Table 1: The purposes of teaching ESP vocabulary Table 2: Teachers’ ways to ask students to practice vocabulary Table 3: Teachers’ frequency of consolidation activities Table 4: The students’ difficulties in learning ESP vocabulary Table 5: Students’ ways of learning new ESP words Table 6: Students’ favourite ways of new lexical item explanation ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF FIGURES Figure 1: ESP Classification by experience (Robinson, 1991, cited in Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:6) Figure 2: Types of ESP (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 16) Figure 3: ESP Classification by professional area (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:6) x LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Statement of the problem English has nowadays become the language of international communication. As Phillipson points out, English has a dominant position in science, technology, medicine, and computers; in research, books, periodicals, and software; in transnational business, trade, shipping, and aviation; in diplomacy and international organizations; in mass media entertainment, news agencies, and journalism; in youth culture and sport; in education system, as the most widely learnt foreign language. Phillipson (1992: 6) Therefore, students have more opportunities to build up their knowledge by reading a variety of materials in English.
Also, they have more chances to perform qualified work abroad. Obviously, in order to do these activities, students need to have certain knowledge of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) vocabulary related to their subjects or fields. This ESP vocabulary will help them adjust to their working environment and meet requirements of their future jobs. Vocabulary is an inseparable part of any teaching syllabus.
However, “Teaching vocabulary especially in ESP course is becoming a challenge for English Language Teachers” (Xhaferi, 2010: 231). Working as ESP teachers at Hanoi College of Economics and Technology (HCET), my colleagues and I face many difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary, such as lack of specialized knowledge and terminologies. Also, learning ESP vocabulary is a very difficult task for our second-year students of Accounting. They have limited knowledge of vocabulary and English grammar.
They do not actively study new words and build up their vocabulary. Their poor vocabulary results in their bad results each term. Realising above problems, the teachers of English of HCET want to do something to change the ways of teaching and learning vocabulary in order to improve the students’ learning effectiveness to help them succeed in their future jobs. Therefore, 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com I have decided to conduct a research to find out main difficulties in teaching and learning English vocabulary of accounting at HCET.
Then, I would like to suggest some solutions to overcome these difficulties. Aims of the study The study is aimed at finding difficulties that ESP teachers and learners at HCET are facing in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary and suggesting some solutions to teaching and learning ESP vocabulary. What difficulties do HCET’s teachers have in teaching ESP vocabulary? 2. What major difficulties do accounting students face in learning ESP vocabulary at HCET? 3.
What are solutions to improving Accounting English vocabulary teaching and learning at HCET? 4. Scope of the study The study has limited itself to the investigation of difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary in the course book “English for Finance” for the students who major in Accounting at Hanoi College of Economics and Technology. The suggested solutions are also provided to help improve teaching and learning of ESP vocabulary at HCET. Methods of the study The research is carried out by using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The data collection instruments are survey questionnaires and informal interviews.